Universal Studios Might Still Be Developing Its Dark Universe Films
Last summer's Tom Cruise-starring The Mummy was meant to kick off Universal Pictures' Dark [...]
Last summer's Tom Cruise-starring The Mummy was meant to kick off Universal Pictures' Dark Universe, which would consist of reimaginings of the studios' most iconic monsters. Unfortunately, the film's critical and box office reception seemingly killed the franchise before it could kick off, though artist Robert Vargas recently shared photos from a visit to the Dark Universe offices, hinting that a new project could be taking shape.
In addition to sharing photos from his visit, he also teased, "Monster things in the works," though it's unclear if this comment had anything to do with contributing art for a new film or a project unrelated to the reboot franchise.
The Dark Universe was officially announced last summer, though 2014's Dracula Untold was meant to serve as a soft launch of the concept, testing to see fan interest in revisiting the studio's popular monster characters. The film underperformed critically and financially, delaying the kickoff of the franchise to last summer's The Mummy.
Ahead of The Mummy's release, Universal Pictures confirmed Russell Crowe, Javier Bardem, and Johnny Depp were on board to play Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Invisible Man, respectively, though the timeline of these projects was unclear.
Beauty and the Beast director Bill Condon was attached to helm the remake of Bride of Frankenstein which was slated to begin shooting earlier this year. The official announcement about delaying the project indefinitely came from the studio last fall.
Earlier this year, Ed Solomon, who had been developing the remake of The Invisible Man, confirmed that he was no longer attached to the project.
"At the end of the day, I think Universal and I had a different idea of what the movie was gonna be," Solomon shared with Digital Spy. "We began thinking that our notions would meld, and I should've listened more closely to what they really were wanting. I think Universal has had to come to a kind of reckoning of, 'What are we doing with the Dark Universe?' and, 'What is our real intention with it?', and I think they're reconfiguring it now, which I think is probably good. So I'm not working on it."
While Vargas' visit could signal forward momentum with the franchise, fans have heard very little about the status of the franchise in recent months.
Do you think Vargas could be working on something related to the Dark Universe? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!
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